modern day first ladies are the ones that i can identify with more, people like eleanor roosevelt, jackie kennedy, you know, those are the women whose stories feel close enough to connect with. many of the women in the higher floors on the state floor they seem like characters from a wonderful story because it was such a long time ago. it's history, and you read about it in books. to be in their presence seems a little disconnected. but the first ladies on the ground floor are the ones that i remember. i remember their real stories and their real -- i can picture their lives in an incredible way that makes me think about their challenges and struggles and how they used the space. >> the first ladies, their private and public lives. c-span's teaming up with the white house historical associate for a first-of-its-kind original series. first ladies: influence and image airing over two seasons. season one gips presidents day -- begins presidents day on c-span, c-span radio and c-span.org. >> and now, more from booktv's college series. we sat down with stephanos bibas at the university of penn